Freshmen

March 6, 2023

On the Road with Betsy Woolf – Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Located on California's Central Coast about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a California public university where the motto is "Learn by Doing." And that is exactly what I found on a trip to this surprisingly modern campus. The curriculum is "flipped," meaning that from day one, students are  taking classes in their areas of study. And they don't just sit in class. This is a hands-on university.
February 26, 2023

On the Road with Betsy Woolf – So You Think You Know ASU…

ASU West is a 35-minute shuttle bus ride from the Tempe campus, yet it is a world away. It's hard to find a public university with a small student population, but ASU West is one. There are just over 4000 students attending this pretty modern campus...
June 9, 2022

On the Road with Betsy Woolf – CalArts

CalArts was founded by the Disneys in 1961 as a performing and visual arts educational institution. It is a direct entry school, which means that a student applies into a particular program. CalArts houses six separate schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater. All undergraduate programs – there are around 70 -  lead to a BFA degree.
May 17, 2022

Update on the Common Application

Current Common Application membership is 979 colleges and universities, 63 of whom are international. Members hail from 19 countries outside the US. This year, 1.2 Million first year applicants submitted 7.5 million applications.
May 16, 2022

In a New York State of Mind

...I proceeded to the Uptown campus of the University at Albany, which features nine schools: Arts and Science, Social Welfare, Education, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Public Health, Business, Public Affairs & Policy, Criminal Justice and Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.
December 22, 2021

Myth: You Won’t Get In If You Don’t Get In Early. Not True.

When I take a look at admissions to Master’s and Ph.D programs, for example, I see a range of students from all sorts of undergrad institutions, very selective and not so much, yet what the students all have in common is that they had made the most of their undergrad experiences. So if you were declined in the last few weeks, it’s okay to be disappointed, but it won’t affect your success in life. You will.
September 14, 2020
how to write the why this school essay

How to Write the Why This School Essay

One of the most popular questions in the Common Application and the Coalition for College Application is some variation as to why a student wants to attend a particular college. The answer to the Why This School question […]
June 13, 2020
liberal arts

Why a Speech Given in 2011 Resonates Today

My favorite musical, hands down, is Ragtime, which is based on the book of the same name by E. L. Doctorow, and which I have seen several times, not just on Broadway but in a memorable snowy winter night […]
June 11, 2020
Common Application

Introducing the Common Application: The Main Section

The 2020-2021 version of the Common Application doesn’t go live until August 1, but you can get a head start by creating an account right now at https://apply.commonapp.org/login. Your application will roll over from this year to the […]
June 1, 2020

What Are Colleges Planning To Do This Fall?

Although many plans won’t be released until later this month or in July, we are getting an inkling of what some colleges and universities are planning on doing. Most schools seem to be leaning towards having students on […]